Water-heater drain



Dec. 31, 1929. J. P. MORLEY WATER HEATER DRAIN Filed Sept. 10, 192"!Patented Dec. 31, 1929 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

manner. MORLEY, OF A 1 mm, INDIANA, Assrenon TO BASTIAN-MORLEY GOM-.E'ANY, or LA ronrn, INDIANA, A conronnrron or INDIANA WATER-HEATERDRAIN Application filed September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,608.-

My invention relates to water heaters and has to do especially with anovel meanstor draining water heaters in which the drain Outlet islocatedvat a point spaced from the bottom of the storage tank.

In some instances, it is customary to employ water heaters embodying astorage'tank with a separate heating element having suitable cold andhot water circulating connections therewith, and wherein the storagetank may be drained through the cold water inlet to the heating element.In such cases, it is desirable that the cold water inlet to the heatingele ment be located within the storage tank and at such a distance fromits bottomthat sediment, dirt, etc., which may collect thereon andthereabouts and which may be stirred up by the circulation of the coldwater during the heating operation, will not be carried to and passthrough the heating element inlet to the interior of such element andimpair its efficiency. With the inlet to the heating element, which mayalso serve as the tank drain outlet, located at a point above the tankbottom all of the water will not be drained from the tank when the drainis opened unless otherwise provided for.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an etlicient automaticmeans for efiiecting a rapid and substantially complete drainage of awater storage tank wherein the drain outlet is located at a point spacedfrom the bottomof the tank; and my invention is well adapted forsolution of the problems above referred to.

1 Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive means forcarrying out the foregoing object which may be readily applied toheaters'already in use; and to this end. I employ an automaticallyacting siphon carried by and cooperating with the main drain so as tocontinue the drain flowas thelevel oi the water in the tank passesbeneath the level of the drain outlet.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent as thisdescription progrosses and by reference to the drawing wherein e IFigure 1 is a vertical section of one form of 1 water heater embodyingmy invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of theheater structure of Fig. 1, showing a form of siphon applied to the in-.wardly extending neck of the heating element which also serves as adrain outlet;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partially in section, of the structure shown inFig. 2, taken substantially on line 8-3 of that figure.

In the drawings, I have shown a form of heater to which my invention maybe readily applied, but it is to be understood that my invention may beapplied to other water heaters oi dilierent construction and whereinsimilar problems as to drainage exist.

The heater shown (Fig. 1) includes an outer wall 5 and an inner wall 6with an insulating space 7 therebetween. The inner wall 6 is providedwith a bottom 8 and a top 9 forming. the water storage tank or reservoir10. The tank is provided with the usual cold water pipe 10 and hot waterpipe 10 and is supported by a plurality of legs 11.

The tank bottom 8 is provided with a boss 12 adapted to receive abushing 13 which, in turn, receives the threaded tubular neck portion 11 oi? the heating element 15 which may be referred to as a waterspreader. The joint between the bushing 13 and the bottom 8 may be ofthe usual form while that between the bushing 13 and the spreader neck14: is, pret erably, formed by the cooperation of the taperedspreaderseat 16, metal gasket 17 and the sharp-edged face 18 of the bushing 13which provides a fluid tight joint which readily permits of detachmentof the spreader 15. The spreader 15 is provided with a circulatingmember 19 supported by the spaced ribs 20 and carrying a circulatingpipe19*. The lower part of the spreader is connected to an outlet or drainpipe 21 which passes through a suitable burner 22 to any convene ientpoint and which is controlled by a suita ble valve 23.

As the heater is used, dirt, sediment, etc, may fall toward and bedeposited upon the bottom 8. Cold water circulates through the spreaderneck 14 beneath the member 19 where it is heated and it then circulatesupwardly through the pipe 19'' to the top of the tank. During thisaction, there is a tendency for the circulating cold water to stir upany sediment which may be on the bottom 8 and carry the same into thespreader and impair its efliciency. To reduce this tendency to a minimumand to prevent dirt, sediment, etc., being carried from the bottom ofthe tank through the spreader neck into the spreader chamber 15, Iextend the tubular spreader neck inwardly a considerable distance, sothat its inlet 24 is at such a distance from the tank bottom 8 that thepossibility of dirt, sediment, etc., on such bottom being stirred up andcarried into the spreader by the circulating cold water is reduced to aminimum.

As hereinabove described, the draining of the tank takes place throughthe spreader neck, the spreader chamber 15 and the drain pipe 21, and byextending the spreader neck as above described and as shown in Fig. 2,

2U it will be readily seen that there will be a considerable amount ofwater in the bottom of the tank which will not drain unless otherwiseprovided for. I accomplish substantiaL ly com lete drainage as follows:The upper edge 0 the spreader neck is provided with an opening 25 toreceive a siphon, preferably, in the form of a tube 26, in such a mannerthat the base thereof does not extend above the upper edge of thespreader neck and the siphon is contained within the vertical limitsthereof. This tube may be fixed to the spreader neck by soldering orother suitable means. The short leg 26 of the siphon extends downwardlyalong the outer surface of $5 the tubular spreader neck to a point closeto the tank bottom while its other and longer leg 26 extends downwardlywithin the spreader neck to a point beneath the level of the inlet tothe short leg. With this arrangement, assuming that the tank is empty,as the tank is filled, the water rises in the short leg 26 as the levelof the water rises in the tank and as this level approaches the upperedge of the spreader neck, the water rising in the short leg 26 willflow through the base of the siphon and down through the long leg 26*thereof and expel the air therefrom. This action continues as the levelof the water in the tank rises and as it rises in the spreader to andabove the end of the long leg of the siphon. When the level of the waterreaches the end of the long leg of the siphon, all of the air has beenexcluded there from and the tube is entirely filled with water. In thislnanner the siphon 26 is automatically set and remains in such setcondition until the tank is drained. To drain the tank, the valve 23 isopened and the water flows through the spreader inlet 241, spreaderchamber 15, and drain pipe 21. As the level of the water in the tank islowered to a point where it will not flow through the spreader neckopening 24, the flow is continued through the siphon 26 in a mannerwhich will be well understood and until the level of the water has beenreduced to the level of the inlet to the short siphon leg 26".

In the above manner, substantially all the water in the tank will becompletely drained through the spreader and the drain pipe 21. Thesiphon is automatically set ready for the siphoning action as the tankis filled. .It is of such character that it may be readily applied toheaters already in use. It eliminates the necessity of the use ofadditional drain pipes which would increase the number of parts of theapparatus and increase the cost.

Vhile I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as definedby the claims, which follow. For example, the siphon may be in the formof a U-shaped channel piece fixed upon the spreader neck in such amanner that the walls of the spreader neck complete the tube. The bottom8 may be convex instead of concave, as shown, and the short leg 26 ofthe siphon extended close to the lowest part of the bottom, and the longsiphon leg, of course, extended within the spreader neck to a pointlower than the inlet to the short siphon leg.

I claim:

1. In a water heater, a storage tank and a hollow drain member mountedin the bottom of said tank and extending inwardly to a point spacedtherefrom, means for normally closing the drain member and a siphoncarried by said member with its short leg extending exteriorly of saidmember, to a point close to said tank bottom, and its longer'legextending interiorly of said member.

2. In a water heater, a storage tank and a hollow drain member mountedin the bottom of said tank and extending inwardly to a point spacedtherefrom, means for normally closing the drain member, said memberhaving a notch in its upper edge to receive the base of a siphon withinits vertical limits, the short leg ofwhich extends exterio'rly of saidmember to a point near the bottom of said tank and its long legextending interiorly of said member, said siphon belng automaticallyrendered effective as the tank is filled with water.

3. In a water heater, a storage tank, a drain pipe in the bottom of saidtank, and extending upward into said tank, means for normally closingsaid drain pipe, and a siphon having its short leg extending adjacentthe bottom of said tank and its long leg extending into said drain pipe.

1. In a water heater, a storage tank, a drain pipe in the bottom of saidtank, and extending upward into said tank, means for normally closingsaid drain pipe, and a siphon having its short leg extending adjacentthe bottom of said tank and its long leg extending into said drain pipe,said siphon being automatically rendered efiective as the tank is filledwith water.

5. In a water heater the combination of a storage tank, a heatingelement carried by said tank and having an inlet communicating with theinterior thereof at a point spaced from the tank bottom, a drain pipeconnected to said element and in communication with the interior of saidtank through said inlet, and a siphon carried by said inlet for drainingthe water from the tank whenthe Water level is reduced below said inlet.

6. In a water heater the combination of a storage tank, a heatingelement carried by said tank and having a hollow inlet portion extendingthrough said bottom to receive the tube within said notch so that thebase of said siphon does not extend above the upper edge of said tube,said siphon being arranged to drain the water from said tank when it hasbeen reduced to and below the level of the entrance to said tube.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

JAMES P. MORLEY. V

water at a point spaced from the tank bots tom, a drain pipe connectedto said element and adapted to drain water from said tank through saidinlet portion, and a siphon carried within the vertical limits of saidinlet portion with its short leg extending exteriorly of said portion toa point near the tank bottom and its longer leg extending interiorly ofsaid portion .to continue drainage as the level of the water is broughtbelow the inlet to said element.

7. In a water heater the combination of a storage tank, a heatingelement carried by said tank and having a hollow inlet portion extendingthrough said bottom to receive the water at a'point spaced from the tankbottom, a drain pipe connected to said element and adapted to drainwater from said tank through said inlet portion, and a siphon carriedwithin the vertical limits of said inlet portion with its short legextending exteriorly of said portion to a point near the tank bottom andits longer leg extending interiorly of said portion to continue drainageas the level of the water is brought below the inlet to said element,said siphon being automatically rendered effective by filling said tankwith water to a point above said element inlet.

. inlet pipe in communication with the interior a 8. In awater heater,the combination of a storage tank, a heating element having an of saidtank at a point spaced from its bottom, a drain pipe connected to saidelement and to the interior of said tank through said inlet pipe fordraining said tank to the level of the inlet to said inlet pipe, and avsiphon carried by said inlet pipe and having its short leg extendingexteriorly thereof adjacent the tank bottom and its longer leg extendingwithin said inlet pipe for draining said tank as the level of the watertherein falls below the level of the inlet to said inlet pipe.

9. Ina water heater, the combination of a storage tank, a hollow tubeadapted for draining water from said tank carried in one of the tankwalls and having its inlet spaced from the tank bottom, means fornormally closing the tube, said tube having a notch in its upper edge, asiphon carried by said

